Bright Sun
by Half-elf
Summary: Set between Diablo and Diablo II.  A young sorceress travels the Western Kingdoms, battling the forces of evil... but evil is on the rise.  Has she bitten off more than she can chew?


Bright Sun

By: Half-elf

AN: This was actually an short story I submitted to Blizzard's writing contest… but considering I didn't win I think I can actually post this now. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: The world, creatures, and character classes belong to Blizzard North. Other than the characters, I own nothing. Not even a beta key to Diablo III. (sigh)

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

The sun shone brightly that day.

The evil that she had faced, the pain that she had endured, was burned away, cleansed, by the warmth of the spring day. Slowly, she made her way into the tiny village that sprawled before her. Dark and distrustful glances were thrown her way, the residents too wary of strangers to offer any welcoming or friendly gesture, except for one little girl. A small, uncertain smile graced her lips while she raised one hand in a tiny wave, in her other hand she gripped a worn and well-loved doll. The traveler started to raise a hand in reply when the girl's mother jerked her back, scolding her as they walked away. Old anger echoed quietly through her but, really, she was too tired to care.

With a resounding crack, the door of the tavern struck against the dark wood of the wall as she barged into its welcoming warmth. With strength of will alone, she forced herself the last few feet to collapse at a worn, scarred table. A signal to the barkeep for food and drink sapped the last of her energy.

The man moved warily from behind the bar with her order. He knew her kind, though they were rare enough in these parts. He saw the scars littering her exposed skin and the dirt and blood stains dotting her clothes and armor. She had carried a walking staff as she entered the room but, when he came closer to it, he began to think that wasn't all it was. He swallowed thickly and placed the plate and mug in front of her. He had almost escaped when her voice called to him.

"What news have you heard?" Her voice, underneath the weariness, was rich and sweet but her tone was serious and hard.

Again, he swallowed hard. "We ain't heard nothing in a long time. Ain't get no visitors around here no more. We all just keep to ourselves."

The anger swelled and a sneer touched her full lips. "The world is ripping itself apart and you people just hide yourselves in your own little world."

He flushed angrily. "You don't know nothing about us, so just keep your mouth shut." He poked a finger in her direction. "We stay quiet here and we get left alone and that's the way it's gonna stay. Don't need to be going all heroic and bringing trouble down on us like those other towns you been hearin' about. So eat and get out. We don't want your kind here." He gestured wildly to the door.

She smirked, picked up her spoon and tasted a bit of the stew in front of her. "_My kind_ are all that stand between you and utter annihilation."

Seething, he spat at her feet. "Your kind is what attracts those _things_ to us. We're all better off without you." She ignored him and he stormed away, still shooting her furious looks time to time from where he stood behind the bar.

Slowly, as if unaware of the hatred and distrust emanating from her reluctant host, she ate the bland meal set before her. Although tasteless, it went a long way in restoring her strength. It had been days since she had gotten to eat more than trail rations or what she could forage for on her own.

She had hoped to meet up with her partner here but… She sighed and drank the last of her watered-down ale. Grimacing at the foul taste she threw a few coins on the table and stood, pack in hand. Perhaps they would meet in the next village?

The barkeep's burning gaze followed her as she exited the tavern. She gritted her teeth as she thought of how much she had done, how much she had gone through, for these people and people like them. And yet they treated her with contempt and an anger that sometimes bordered on hatred.

Bryan always told her that she expected too much from people. That for them to admit they needed her protection they would first have to admit that the world was beginning to crumble…and most people would rather live in their ignorance than shatter their carefully constructed worlds. It was easier to blame her and others like her, for their troubles. She had laughed at her Rathmian friend and told him that she would let him have his theories but she would suffer no such illusions. She would continue on their path, not for the sake of the people they saved, but because each demon slain meant one less that could destroy her world.

She flexed her shoulders to settle her pack more comfortably then began her trek to leave the unfriendly little village behind.

O.o.o.o.o.O

The forests of Khanduras were among the most beautiful she had ever seen. Traveling on the winding paths through the rich woodlands, she could almost understand the peoples' desire to pretend that Hell's minions would never encroach on its beauty. Pausing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, filling her mind with the scents of the forest. A coppery stench reached her nose.

Blood.

Senses heightened, she surveyed her surroundings. Thick, dark forest closed in on either side of the path. Long gone were the rolling hills she had traversed to get here. Tightening her grip on her staff she left the edge of the road and started through the underbrush. Tall, old trees prevented much of the sun's rays from penetrating the forest's dim interior and cast shadows that played tricks on the mind. But it wasn't long before she reached the source of the smell.

Bodies, piles of them. They littered the forest floor like so much garbage. Bile rose in her throat at the savagery before her. These people hadn't died in an accident or from sickness. These people were torn to shreds, the choicest bits eaten, and the rest discarded.

Gritting her teeth, she visually traced the trail of carnage deeper into the woods. A familiar anger rose within her. These creatures were chaos incarnate, set on destroying her world. But she was not going to let them. She looked over her shoulder, back towards the path that would have brought her again to Bryan. The necromancer had always protected her back when they hunted, just as she had always protected his. Together, they made a formidable force for good, despite their differing view points.

But this hunt she would have to handle alone.

Determined to finish this as quickly as possible, she pushed deeper into the forest. Thorns tore at her face and caught on her clothes, thick underbrush dragged at her feet, but she struggled onward, the trail clear in her mind.

She smelled them first. The rank odor of unwashed bodies mixed with the coppery scent of blood and the putrid smell of rotting meat. It was the smell of the creatures themselves along with their most recent meal. She was close.

Then the sounds of their camp reached her. The guttural cries as they communicated with one another, the clash of their clubs striking against their shields, and the snap of bone as they feasted on their victims. It was a symphony of sounds that sent a chill through her. She was almost there.

Then she was at the edge of a clearing and they were finally in her sight: Fallen. They weren't terribly large creatures but the crimson skin and the tightly formed muscles, not to mention the viciously sharp teeth, would give anyone pause. Thankfully, there were only half a dozen in the clearing and no Shaman in sight. That would make exterminating them that much easier.

With a deep breath she emerged from the shadowed wood and raised her staff before her. The creatures froze momentarily then a terrible shriek rose throughout the clearing. But the cry died quickly.

Both arms outstretched she felt a tingle of cold flow down towards her hands, forming a tight orb of ice. With a fierce cry she sent it into their midst where shards of ice erupted from it, spinning forth to pierce those who had dived out of the way. Within seconds, the creatures lay in broken heaps on the forest floor and she sighed in satisfaction. "I love that spell," she said with a smirk.

She bent down to rifle through the creature's belongings when its eyes snapped open and it screamed in her face. With a gasp she backed up and, in shock, realized that this one wasn't the only one lifting itself off the ground.

"Damn." She glanced around frantically searching for the larger figure of the Fallen Shaman. Another orb was launched to keep the horde at bay but as quickly as she was knocking them down they were getting back up. "I could really use his corpse explosion spell right now," she said through gritted teeth. "That would make this a whole lot easier."

A club hit a glancing blow off her shoulder armor. 'Time to change tact,' she thought. She stretched out an arm in front of her and a single bolt of ice shot from her fingertips. The Fallen in front of her froze solid and with one well placed kick, it shattered, pieces littering the ground around her.

Seeing the very final death of their comrade brought her a few moments while they watched her warily. Finally, she glimpsed the figure of the Shaman hidden within the shaded area around the edge of the clearing. She swept her staff out in a wide arc, clearing herself a circle free of her enemies then she turned and sent a frozen orb directly at the Shaman. As his death cry reached her ears she turned back and finished the rest of them with the same spell.

Breathing hard she searched among the bodies for useful supplies. She hadn't been able to purchase any potions in the last village and she was desperately low, her reserves practically nil. She had just freed a minor Mana potion from a pile of broken arrows when her head exploded in pain.

She crashed to the ground, stunned and confused, but luckily some instincts remained because she was able to roll away from the following blow just in time. A Fallen stood above her, mouth salivating and eyes screaming of blood lust.

She kicked out at him, sending him crashing back into his comrades, buying her much needed time to regain her feet. They had risen, all of them. "How," she whispered as she fought to think clearly. "I killed him. I know I did." Then she saw them; Fallen emerging from the trees in waves, surrounding her and brandishing their clubs threateningly.

"Stupid," she hissed at herself. "Damn stupid." She wasn't looking at a single camp of Fallen, these were multiple camps bound together. It was the largest band she had ever seen. She had made a rookie mistake and it very may well prove to be her last. But she'd be damned if she would go down without a fight.

A wordless scream of defiance ripped from her lips as she sent spell after spell into their midst. Shards of ice ripped through their ranks, felling the masses but there were always more ready to fill the gaps and more than one hidden Shaman ready to raise the ones she had slain.

Sweat and blood poured down her face, blinding her and making the already difficult task even more so. She felt her energy drain with each spell, her magic slow to respond, her spells becoming sluggish. It looked like she might not be able to successfully finish this fight. She struggled to grip the small bottle on her belt and was relieved to feel the Mana potion in her hand. Swallowing it quickly, she sent one final orb into the middle of the horde then teleported as far away as possible.

Drained completely, she reappeared only to stagger blindly and tumble into a hollow hidden by thorns. Straining to rise she was unable to gain her feet and collapsed back. Then the darkness claimed her.

O.o.o.o.o.O

It was a long while later when she awoke and the forest was quiet. No birds sounded, no animals called, only deathly silence permeated the air. Although still shaken, she had enough strength to climb out of the hollow. An inventory of her injuries showed only scrapes and bruises, not counting the gash on the side of her head which ached but wasn't too deep.

Using her staff for support she picked her way through the woods back towards the path. It was slow going, the difficulty all the greater because of her battered body. It wasn't long before she could see the well-worn path and she let out a sigh of relief; a sigh of relief which turned to dismay when the scent of smoke tickled her nose. She turned to look and saw a plume of smoke hanging over the direction she had come from that morning. 'Had it really only been that morning?' She gasped as a realization hit her, "The village!" Weary though she was, she gathered as much energy as she could and teleported as quickly as possible back the way she had come.

But she was too late. All that was left of the bustling village was a burnt out shell. Here and there fires still burned, doors were broken in, windows smashed, and blood… blood blanketed the streets. And over it all was a miasma of chard flesh and death. Walking towards the center of town she kept her senses raised, knowing that they would have to be here somewhere, but all that reached her was an eerie silence.

Her boot struck against something soft and yielding. Almost fearing what she would see, she looked down. It was a doll, worn and well-loved, although now darkened with soot and blood. Kneeling down, she took the doll in her hand when the memory of the young girl from that morning came to mind. This was her doll. A quick glance around found the girl lying not far from the doll, her vacant eyes staring accusingly upward.

A cry stuck in her throat and she sank to her knees. This village, though not friendly, had been innocent, just trying to live their lives. This girl… Unnoticed, tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered raggedly. "I'm sorry. If only…" A sob escaped her. She pictured the girl's smiling face turning to pure terror as the horde descended on them. She thought of the fear that must have torn through her just before their blades sank into her flesh.

"I'm sorry." The whisper was no more than a breath escaping in a pained rush.

"Rose?"

Looking up in surprise, she found Bryan watching her in concern. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Coming up beside her, he laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "I wasn't that far behind you. I had stopped to research some rumors that I had overheard, otherwise I would have been here earlier."

She wiped her eyes with the back of a wrist, the other hand still clutching the girl's doll. "The horde?"

His jaw tightened. "When I arrived, they had already started feeding. I wasn't in time to save anyone, only to stop them from going further."

Staring blankly ahead she spoke in a whisper. "It was my fault. I screwed up."

And like always, he listened silently as she told him the story. When she was finished, he shook his head. "It's not your fault. This fits with the information I've gathered." When she looked at him with pain-filled eyes he hesitated briefly then pressed forward. "There are rumors that the Prime Evils walk the mortal plain again. That's why demonic activity has been more prevalent lately."

A cold weight settled in her stomach. "You mean that the size of the group here is becoming more common?"

His face was hard though his eyes burned with commitment. "I'm afraid so."

She closed her eyes in pain but when she opened them they burned with the same commitment and drive as his. "Then we'll stop them." She pushed to her feet. "We go after the Brothers. If the head is cut off, the body dies. Any of the lesser evils we can take care of along the way."

He smiled as he watched her gain back herself: her shoulders straightened, she held her head high, and there was fire in her eyes. "We certainly will."

Staff in hand, she observed the remains of the village as it slowly burned. With a prayer for the dead on her lips she lifted a hand and added to the flames already flickering amongst the broken timber. Slowly, they moved through the streets, pausing only so that she could encourage the flames higher. Finally, they stood together on the outskirts of the village and watched as the fire devoured everything, cleansing the land of the evil that had tainted it.

When nothing but ash remained she turned to him with a question. "Where do we head first?"

He considered for a moment then nodded to himself as he reached a decision. "I believe that the Sister's of the Sightless Eye would have a greater insight into what is happening than I. We should head for their camp in Entsteig first and then from there we can decide where to head next."

She nodded in agreement. "Entsteig it is then." She drew in a deep breath and gazed one last time at the burnt land where once stood a humble little village. "Let's get started." She turned and strode purposefully away from the remains. As the sun began to set on the companions, she carefully and reverently slipped a soot covered doll into the pouch on her belt.

The sun had shone brightly that day.

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

AN: Hope you liked it!


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